Patient safety culture through the perspectives of healthcare workers: a longitudinal study in a private healthcare network in Brazil.

Background: Enhancing security and dependability of health systems necessitates resource allocation, a well-defined infrastructure and a steadfast commitment to ensuring its safety and stability over time.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the temporal trend of patient safety culture according to the perception of professionals working in a private healthcare network in Brazil over a 7-year period (2015-2022).

Methods: The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire was distributed to 34 hospitals between 2015 and 2022 with 160 607 responders.

Assessing the differential responses in normal and inflamed in vitro intestinal models exposed to food contaminants complex mixtures.

The intestinal barrier is crucial for gut health, and its dysfunction can lead to chronic inflammatory conditions. Food contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may worsen these conditions. However, research often overlooks the complex interactions between contaminants and the different cells in the intestine.

The differential impact of processing speed and cognitive flexibility on cognitive emotion regulation strategies and depression.

Introduction: Existing cognitive models for depression propose interactions between cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) and cognitive processes. However, often oversimplify these interactions and do not accommodate the complexity of interactions. We aimed to construct and explore the micro-level properties of a network model that can integrate this complexity of the interactions and explore through computational simulations the differential impact of improvements/deterioration in cognitive flexibility and processing speed in the network.

Associations of Subjective Sleep patterns and Social Jet Lag with Weight Loss and Dietary Intake in Bariatric Surgery Patients: A One-Year Follow-Up Study.

Current literature has shown that poor sleep patterns and social jet lag (SJL) are associated with obesity and weight gain. However, this area remains underexplored in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery. We hypothesized that higher levels of SJL and poorer sleep patterns are associated with lower weight loss, greater caloric/nutrient intake, and poorer metabolic outcomes following surgery.

Nanoengineered Self-Assembling Peptides with Increased Proteolytic Stability Promote Wound Healing.

The copper complex of the tripeptide glycine-histidine-lysine (GHK) has proven benefits in wound healing and tissue remodeling by promoting blood vessel growth and increasing skin oxygen levels, but its activity is reduced in body fluids due to fast proteolytic cleavage. Herein, we designed several peptides that bear the GHK sequence and can self-assemble into supramolecular nanostructures aiming for enhanced bioactivity. The design involves a phenylalanine (F) backbone known for its ability to form supramolecular assemblies.

Astrocytic Hevin/SPARCL-1 Regulates Cognitive Decline in Pathological and Normal Brain Aging.

Dementia, characterized by loss of cognitive abilities in the elderly, poses a significant global health challenge. This study explores the role of astrocytes, one of most representative glial cells in the brain, in mitigating cognitive decline. Specifically, we investigated the impact of Hevin (also known as SPARC-like1/SPARCL-1), a secreted glycoprotein, on cognitive decline in both normal and pathological brain aging.

An Update on Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines and the Challenges to Protect Against New SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant threat to global health systems, with extensive impacts across many sectors of society. The pandemic has been responsible for millions of deaths worldwide since its first identification in late 2019. Several actions have been taken to prevent the disease, including the unprecedented fast development and global vaccination campaigns, which were pivotal in reducing symptoms and deaths.

Evaluation of the adherence of municipalities and states to the Ministry of Health's microplanning for high-quality vaccination activities and the increase in vaccination coverage in Brazil.

Background: Immunization is a significant public health achievement for the whole world, although the population's adherence to vaccination efforts remains a concern. To address this, Brazil's Ministry of Health introduced the concept of operational microplanning (OM) for high-quality vaccination activities (HQVA) in 2023 to ensure excellence in routine service and campaigns. OM is defined by structured interventions using assertive techniques to enhance the likelihood of covering a broader population previously unprotected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Association between nursing workload and staff size with the occurrence of adverse events and deaths of patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: The safety of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is significantly impacted by inadequate staffing of nursing professionals to meet the demand for care of critically ill patients. COVID-19 patients increased nurses' workload, particularly in high-intensity care settings like the ICU.

Aim: To evaluate the association of workload and number of patients per nursing professional with the occurrence of adverse events and death in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in the ICU.

Mobile Health for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Patients' Preferences and Perception of Patient-Centeredness.

Background: The increasingly fast development of mobile health technologies holds significant value for individuals dealing with mental health conditions. However, inadequate consideration of patients' preferences and expectations undermines real-world outcomes, including sustained adherence. Driven by the belief that specific characteristics, such as youth and higher education, of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder make them suitable for digital adoption, we investigated mHealth-related desirability factors within this patient group.

Stem Cell-Based Therapies for Glaucoma Treatment: A Review Bridging the Gap in Veterinary Patients.

Retinal diseases are characterized by progressive damage to retinal cells, leading to irreversible vision loss. Among these, glaucoma stands out as a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease involving elevated intraocular pressure, retinal ganglion cell apoptosis, and optic nerve damage, ultimately resulting in blindness in both humans and dogs. Stem cell-based therapies have emerged as a promising therapeutic option for such conditions due to their regenerative and neuroprotective potential.

"Actor-critic" dichotomous hyperactivation and hypoconnectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Dysfunctional response inhibition, mediated by the striatum and its connections, is thought to underly the clinical manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the exact neural mechanisms remain controversial. In this study, we undertook a novel approach by positing that a) inhibition is a dynamic construct inherently susceptible to numerous failures, which require error-processing, and b) the actor-critic framework of reinforcement learning can integrate neural patterns of inhibition and error-processing in OCD with their behavioural correlates.

Postoperative Implementation of Virtual Reality and Wearable Devices: Opportunities and Challenges.

Objective: To examine implementation of virtual reality (VR) and Fitbit wearable activity devices in postoperative recovery.

Methods: This was a prospective, 4-arm, randomized controlled trial of patients undergoing inpatient head and neck surgery at a tertiary academic center from November 2021 to July 2022. Patients were randomized to Control, VR, Fitbit, or combined VR + Fitbit groups.

Evaluating efflux pump inhibition in Staphylococcus aureus 1199B strain using thiadiazine-derived compounds: In vitro and in silico approaches.

Thiadiazines are heterocyclic compounds known for some pharmacological activities. However, the ability of these compounds and their derivatives to act as antibacterial agents and inhibitors of the efflux system in resistant bacteria remains unknown. This study aims to evaluate the antibacterial and NorA efflux pump inhibitory activities of thiadiazine-derived compounds (IJ14, IJ15, IJ16, IJ17, IJ18, IJ19, and IJ20) against the Staphylococcus aureus 1199B strain.

Aging promotes an increase in mitochondrial fragmentation in astrocytes.

Introduction: Brain aging involves a complex interplay of cellular and molecular changes, including metabolic alterations and the accumulation of senescent cells. These changes frequently manifest as dysregulation in glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function, leading to reduced energy production, increased oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction-key contributors to age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods: We conducted experiments on two models: young (3-4 months) and aged (over 18 months) mice, as well as cultures of senescent and control mouse astrocytes.

Microplanning workshops for high-quality vaccination in Brazil: an experience report, 2023.

Objective: To report the experience of workshops designed for action plans in microplanning vaccination in Brazilian states and municipalities.

Methods: This was a report on microplanning workshops aimed at mapping the local population, target population and identifying appropriate and effective vaccination actions. Vaccination actions were planned according to the reality of the municipalities using the microplanning method for high-quality vaccination activities.

Effectiveness of cognitive fusion transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy when compared with final prostatectomy histology.

Introduction And Objectives: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. Cognitive fusion transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy is one of several modalities for diagnosing this disease. However, no existing studies have shown the clear superiority of one image-guided technique over another.

[Microplanning as a tool to strengthen the National Immunization Program in BrazilLa microplanificación como herramienta para fortalecer el Programa Nacional de Inmunizaciones en Brasil].

Objective: To measure the variation in number of doses, vaccination coverage (VC) of administered vaccines, and number of municipalities that achieved the VC target in Brazil with the implementation of microplanning for high-quality vaccination activities (HQVA) and decentralized multivaccination actions.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study used data from the National Live Birth Information System, the National Immunization Program Information System, and the National Health Data Network. The number of doses of hepatitis A (HA), meningococcal conjugate-C, oral poliomyelitis, 10-valent pneumococcal, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP), and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines administered to children under 2 years of age in 2022 (pre-microplanning) and 2023 (post-microplanning) was estimated.

Posterior Spinal Cord Infarction Complicating a Bronchial Arterial Embolization.

Massive hemoptysis is a life-threatening condition. Bronchial artery embolization (BAE) is an effective technique for controlling bleeding in cases of severe hemoptysis, with infrequent complications. While rare, spinal cord infarction is a serious potential complication of BAE.

Characterization of work-related accidents among professionals in a public university from 2015 to 2019.

Introduction: Accidents at work are a critical reality in public institutions and, therefore, a highlight of attention and care.

Objectives: To characterize the profile of work-related accidents among professionals at a public university, from 2015 to 2019.

Methods: A quantitative, retrospective, and analytical study on work-related accidents recorded by a worker's health care sector at a public university in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais.

Exposure Scenarios for Estimating Contaminant Levels in Healthy Sustainable Dietary Models: Omnivorous vs. Vegetarian.

Consumers are regularly exposed to well-known food contaminants (FCs), which are typically assessed for risk on an individual basis. However, there is limited knowledge about the overall levels and combinations of these compounds depending on dietary choices. The goal of this study was to estimate the real-life mixtures of FCs in different dietary models by integrating extensive data from the scientific literature concerning the reliable quantification of FCs in foods.

Pectinase immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles coated with alginate for pectin hydrolysis in guava juice assisted by a stirred electromagnetic reactor.

pectinase was immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles coated with calcium alginate for pectin hydrolysis in guava juice by a stirred electromagnetic reactor (SER). The average crystallite size estimated by the Scherrer formula was 33.7 nm.

Ascorbic acid regulates and toxicogenetic effects of hydroxyurea on eukaryotic cells.

Hydroxyurea (HU) exerts unique and diverse biological effects as an anti-leukemic agent, irradiation sensitizer, and HbS inducer in patients with sickle cell anemia. Herein, we assessed the potential toxicogenic and/or oxidant effects of hydroxyurea associated with ascorbic acid by examinations in and human cancer cells and systemically on mice tissues. Growing roots and HCT-116 colorectal tumor cells were examined after HU and HU plus ascorbic acid exposure.

"Minho Technique" for Laparoscopic Radical Cystectomy with Intracorporeal Ileal Conduit.

Objective: Radical cystectomy (RC) with ileal conduit (IC) remains a main treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Laparoscopy in this multistage surgery is quite demanding, so laparoscopic RC (LRC) with intracorporeal IC (IIC) is a technically exceptional procedure. We aim to simplify it, demonstrating our technique, step-by-step.